Inception Report – Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025
- Action Plan: Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025
Overview
Name of Evaluator
Ricardo Ferreira Reis
Member Name
Lisbon, Portugal
Action PlanAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... Title
Action plan – Lisbon, Portugal, 2024 – 2025
Section 1.
Compliance with
co-creation requirements
1.1 Does a forum exist?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The local government, with the support of non-governmental stakeholders, created a space of dialogue, interaction, and co-creation of the action plan, from its conception and development to its monitoring and review.
In Lisbon, both the Strategic Reflection Group for Open Administration (Portuguese acronym: GREAA) and the Intermunicipal Network for TransparencyAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, transparency occurs when “government-held information (including on activities and decisions) is open, comprehensive, timely, freely available to the pub... More and Corruption Prevention serve as this forum, bringing together public entities, civil society, and experts, promoting regular meetings, and ensuring diverse representation. During the co-creation of the plan, two meetings were held, and one meeting took place during the implementation. Therefore, based on these requirements, it can be stated that an appropriate forum exists for the OGP Local process in Lisbon, meeting all the necessary criteria to ensure the participation and engagement of stakeholders.
Provide evidence for your answer:
Screenshot_-MS-Teams-team-that-includes-the-members-of-the-GREAA.png
Screenshot_Description-of-the-Reflection-Group.png
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Description of the Reflection Group
Open “Quem colabora no processo”
MS Teams team that includes the members of the GREAA.
1.2 Is the forum multi-stakeholder?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The multi-stakeholder forumRegular dialogue between government and civil society is a core element of OGP participation. It builds trust, promotes joint problem-solving, and empowers civil society to influence the design, imple... involves public entities, non-governmental organizations, and civil society, who actively contribute to promoting open government in the Municipality of Lisbon. The Strategic Reflection Group for Open Government (GREAA) was specifically created for this purpose, bringing together representatives from various sectors, including government bodies, civil society, and experts. The institutions involved include a Agência para a Modernização Administrativa (AMA), a Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos (CADA), a Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas – NOVA FCSH, o Instituto de Ciências Sociais (ICS), o Observatório de Economia e Gestão de Fraude (OBEGEF), a Plataforma de Associações da Sociedade Civil (PASC) e a Transparência Internacional (TI) Portugal. The Intermunicipal Network for Transparency and Corruption Prevention is an informal network that brings together technicians and experts in transparency and corruption prevention working in Portuguese municipalities.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Agência para a Modernização Administrativa
Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos (CADA)
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas – NOVA FCSH
Instituto de Ciências Sociais (ICS)
Observatório de Economia e Gestão de Fraude (OBEGEF)
Plataforma de Associações da Sociedade Civil (PASC)
Transparência Internacional (TI) Portugal
1.3 Does the forum hold at least one meeting with civil society and non-governmental stakeholders during the co-creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
During the co-creation of the action plan, two meetings were held with Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para a Administração Aberta (GREAA) and Rede Intermunicipal de Transparência e Prevenção da Corrupção (RITPC). These joint reflections were part of the development of the first Open Government Action Plan for the Municipality of Lisbon.
The topics under discussion were access to administrative information, collaborative process for the allocation of municipal support and (Mis)alignment of public services with the real needs and expectations of citizens. The three commitments of OGP Local Lisbon were presented and discussed.
Provide evidence for your answer:
Screenshot_MS-Teams-for-the-invitation-to-the-Open-Group-meeting.png
Screenshot_-MS-Teams-invitation-to-the-first-meeting-of-the-GREAA.png
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
MS Teams invitation to the first meeting of the GREAA.
MS Teams for the invitation to the Open Group meeting
1.4 Has the action plan been endorsed by the stakeholders of the forum or steering committeeThe Steering Committee is OGP’s executive decision-making body. Its role is to develop, promote and safeguard OGP’s values, principles and interests; establish OGP’s core ideas, policies, and ru.../group?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The action plan has been endorsed by the stakeholders of the forum, and the municipality included the list of these stakeholders. The list of individuals who endorsed the action plan is as follows:
- Agência para a Modernização Administrativa (AMA): Jorge Lagarto, Rui Carneiro, Rui Martinho
- Comissão de Acesso aos Documentos Administrativos (CADA): Sérgio Pratas
- Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas – NOVA FCSH: Paula Ochôa
- Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa: Roberto Falanga
- Observatório de Economia e Gestão de Fraude (OBEGEF): Mário Tavares da Silva
- Plataforma de Associações da Sociedade Civil (PASC) – Casa da Cidadania: Luis Vidigal
- Transparência Internacional (TI): Jorge Máximo, Margarida Mano, Maria Lopes
We are in the process of scheduling interviews with these representatives of the different stakeholders, but we have no indication of dissent from any, so we understand that the action plan was endorsed by all of them
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Interviews to be conducted!
Section 2.
Recommended practices
in co-creation
2.1 Does the government maintain a Local OGP website or webpage on a government website where information on the OGP Local process (co-creation and implementation) is proactively published?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The government maintains a Local OGP website on the Transparency Portal, which has a section dedicated to the three commitments made by the Municipality of Lisbon under this initiative. The site is regularly updated with information about the progress of the project.
The OGP Local Lisbon area on the Transparency Portal includes:
- A section on Open Government, containing information about the OGP Local initiative in Lisbon, what we do, and who we are.
- The Action Plan section, which includes the action plan, commitments, associated documentation, and frequently asked questions.
- A section on Plan Monitoring, which tracks the progress of commitments, including milestones with start and end dates, and the current status of each milestone.
- The monitoring of commitments (analyzing progress made) is ongoing, as is the communication process, with content preparation and updates shared on the Transparency Portal
Provide evidence for your answer:
Screenshot_Website-lastly-updated-as-of-the-day-we-last-visited-it-.png
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Site was lastly updated as of the day we last visited it
2.2 Did the government provide information to stakeholders in advance to facilitate informed and prepared participation in the co-creation processCollaboration between government, civil society and other stakeholders (e.g., citizens, academics, private sector) is at the heart of the OGP process. Participating governments must ensure that a dive...?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The information provided to stakeholders was comprehensive and detailed to ensure informed participation in the co-creation process of the Open Government Action Plan for Lisbon. The key points included Adherence to OGP Local, Objectives of the Process, Co-Creation Phase and Identification of Commitments, The Importance of Grupo de Reflexão Estratégica para a Administração Aberta (GREAA), Timeline and Ongoing Involvement and The Role of Civil Society. This information was communicated via email to GREAA members, ensuring that all stakeholders were aware of the objectives, deadlines, and processes involved, facilitating effective participation in the development of the action plan.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
See the evidence is 1.1, where the invitation and scheduling emails were sent with attached documents and links to sites containing all necessary information for the co/creation process.
2.3 Did the government ensure that any interested member of the public could make inputs into the action plan and observe or have access to decision-making documentation?
Unclear
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
As of now, the government has yet to observe the contributions of any interested member of the public to the action plan or the full access to decision-making documentation, but it is committed to providing these opportunities in due course. The process involving consultations with selected stakeholders, public participationGiving citizens opportunities to provide input into government decision-making leads to more effective governance, improved public service delivery, and more equitable outcomes. Technical specificatio... is still at its inception. Direct citizen engagement has not been widely promoted as of now, and there has been no open call for contributions accessible to all, but this will be made available at the appropriate time, ensuring greater transparency and inclusiveness.
My choice of claiming this item as UNCLEAR resides in the fact that this is certainly not a definite YES, but by no means is it a NO. Rather a “AT THE BEGINNING” so still unclear.
2.4 Did the government proactively report back or provide written feedback to stakeholders on how their contributions were considered during the creation of the action plan?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The government provided proactive feedback to stakeholders and shared updates in meetings on how their contributions were considered during the creation of the action plan. Stakeholders, such as GREAA members and other involved parties, were regularly updated on the progress of the plan. Feedback and discussions were shared, explaining how stakeholders’ contributions influenced the decisions made. This ensured transparency, kept all participants informed about the impact of their contributions, and fostered trust, encouraging further collaboration throughout the process.
Provide evidence for your answer:
Screenshot_Message-with-the-feedback-to-the-participants-in-the-meeting.png
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Message with the feedback to the participants in the meeting
2.5 Was there an iterative dialogue and shared ownership between government and non-governmental stakeholders during the decision making process, including setting the agenda?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
There was an iterative dialogue and shared ownership between the government and non-governmental stakeholders during the decision-making process, including setting the agenda. This is reflected in the co-creation process of the Open Government Action Plan for Lisbon, which involved multiple rounds of consultation and collaboration. The participation of stakeholders, such as the GREAA, which includes representatives from both government and civil society, ensured that decisions were made collectively. During the development of the action plan, stakeholders were invited to actively contribute to identifying key themes and commitments, with their input shaping the agenda. Regular meetings and discussions provided opportunities for continuous feedback, enabling the plan to evolve and incorporate different perspectives throughout the process. This collaborative approach ensured that the plan reflected shared priorities and objectives, fostering a sense of ownership among all involved parties.
Provide references here (e.g. interviews):
Evidence provided by email threads of which screenshots are available in previous points.
2.6 Would you consider the forum to be inclusive and diverse?
Moderately
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The Portuguese Society and Lisboan Society in particular is ethnically, linguistically and socially homogenous. The extraction of a random group of people to participate in the forum associated with this initiative will tend to reflect this homogeneity, while mirroring the diversity of the local society. As such, there is no indication in this forum of any type of exclusion or lack of representation of any relevant subgroup of the community, be it genderOGP participating governments are bringing gender perspectives to popular policy areas, ensuring diversity in participatory processes, and specifically targeting gender gaps in policies to address gov... More, age, disabilities, or ethnicity based.
As such my appreciation is that the forum was as inclusive as the relevant Lisboan society, without any particular effort to represent any particular subgroup.
Eventually it would be interesting to hear organizations related to these groups to understand particular contribution or concerns they may want to voice in the context of this initiative.
Section 3.
Initial evaluation
of commitments
1. CommitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action... :
Assessment of the implementation and effects of Law on Access to Administrative Documents in Lisbon Municipality
1.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment clearly outlines verifiable activities, including evaluating the implementation of LADA, assessing the impact of improved access to documents, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and proposing concrete improvements. The creation of an optimized management model and transparency portal to handle document requests provides measurable deliverables
1.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevanceAccording to the OGP Articles of Governance, OGP commitments should include a clear open government lens. Specifically, they should advance at least one of the OGP values: transparency, citizen partic... to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment explicitly relates to transparency, accountability, and citizen participationAccording to OGP’s Articles of Governance, citizen participation occurs when “governments seek to mobilize citizens to engage in public debate, provide input, and make contributions that lead to m... More. It aims to improve transparency through better access to administrative information, identifies areas for enhanced accountability, and intends to foster civic engagement by meeting citizen expectations regarding document access.
1.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a continuation of ongoing practice in line with existing legislationCreating and passing legislation is one of the most effective ways of ensuring open government reforms have long-lasting effects on government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or r..., policies or requirements.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment aligns with the existing Law on Access to Administrative Documents (LADA), representing an evaluation and potential improvement of ongoing practices rather than creating entirely new regulations.
1.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment entails the development and institutionalization of an optimized management model and improved transparency practices for handling administrative document requests. This represents a structural and binding change within Lisbon Municipality’s practices.
1.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
It is recommended that clear milestones and timelines for implementation stages be defined and communicated transparently to stakeholders. Potential challenges include ensuring adequate training for municipal staff, maintaining the technological infrastructure, and guaranteeing continuous stakeholder engagement and feedback mechanisms to align practices with citizen expectations.
2. Commitment :
Collaborative process for redifining the allocation of municipal support
2.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment outlines clearly identifiable actions, such as creating a collaborative and transparent system for allocating financial and non-financial support, standardizing criteria, and involving internal services, citizens, and civil society. It mentions specific issues like the lack of organization and standardized procedures, making it possible to verify progress through clear deliverables such as new regulations, processes, and improved controls.
2.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment explicitly addresses OGP core values of transparency and participation. By proposing a transparent and collaborative system involving citizen engagement and standardizing procedures, it aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and public participation.
2.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulationGovernment reformers are developing regulations that enshrine values of transparency, participation, and accountability in government practices. Technical specifications: Act of creating or reforming ..., policy, practice or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment seeks to establish a new collaborative and transparent system for municipal support allocation. It explicitly aims at transforming current practices through clear and standardized criteria and processes involving multiple stakeholders.
2.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment will institutionalize collaborative and transparent procedures for municipal support allocation across the Municipality of Lisbon, representing a substantial and binding policy change that affects institutional practices, enhances citizen participation, and establishes greater accountability.
2.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
To ensure effective implementation, it is recommended to clearly specify milestones, timelines, and success indicators. Potential challenges include resistance from internal municipal stakeholders accustomed to previous processes and ensuring active, meaningful participation from diverse segments of civil society and citizens.
3. Commitment :
Creation of an integrated municipal service model
3.1 Is the commitment verifiable?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment clearly identifies activities such as co-creation sessions, participatory tools (surveys and simulations), and prototype testing. These activities provide concrete milestones and measurable deliverables, making the commitment verifiable.
3.2 Does the commitment language/activities clearly justify relevance to OGP values?
Yes
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
The commitment strongly aligns with OGP values, particularly citizen participation and transparency. It specifically includes citizens and municipal employees in the design process, actively solicits their input, and seeks to transparently address and respond to public needs.
3.3 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
a new regulation, policy, practice or requirement.
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment involves developing and testing a new, integrated municipal service model, addressing existing shortcomings and introducing a significant change in how municipal services are designed and delivered.
3.4 Please select one option that best describes the commitment:
will result in a change of the rules, practices or policies that govern a policy area, public sector and/or relationship between citizens and is binding or institutionalized across government or specific institution(s).
Provide a brief explanation of your answer:
This commitment aims at a systemic redesign and institutionalization of municipal service delivery, driven by citizen input. Such an integrated approach represents a fundamental, binding change in municipal operations and public interaction.
3.5 Are there any recommended changes to the design of the commitment to help improve its implementation?
Recommended improvements include clearly defining roles and responsibilities within the co-creation process and ensuring broad demographic representation in feedback mechanisms. Challenges may include overcoming internal resistance, effectively managing expectations, and maintaining continuous and meaningful public engagement throughout implementation.
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